The present invention relates in general to devices for covering and protecting a table or the like, and more specifically to table pads and methods for their production.
Dining room tables and the like are commonly constructed of wood and have finished surfaces which require protection from impact, heat, abrasion and other normal wear and tear. Consequently, pads for covering such tables have long been constructed and used for such protective purposes. For their effective function, such table pads include a covering to contact the table, a covering on the opposite side to provide a working surface or "facing", and an inner member between the coverings to provide a modicum of support.
The covering on the table-contacting side of the pad is made of a wearable material, commonly a felt or a similar soft, fibrous material, either natural or synthetic. The wearable material upon contact with a harder tabletop incurs any wear resulting from the contact and, therefore, does not scratch or mar the finish of the tabletop. The covering on the facing of the table pad is made of a non-wearable, waterproof material, usually a plastic in the current market. The non-wearable material when in contact with cookware, silverware and the like does not incur wear and as a result provides a durable working surface. The predominantly used material and mode of construction for the pad inner member has not changed for many years and consists of a plurality of plies of cardboard-like material such as chipboard or insulating dry felt such is commonly referred to in the roofing industry or similar pliable material. These plies are bonded together by glue or staples or are sewn together along and about one inch from their outer edges or a combination of any of the above. The coverings are then applied with a standard adhesive, and their edges are tucked and securely held in place with the help of the adhesive between adjacent layers of the inner pad construction to provide a smooth, covered edge to the table pad. See, for example, S. Ash, U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,195.
Another table pad construction is suggested by Mortimer R. Meyer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,567, which quilts the coverings to an intermediate layer of cotton batting, the batting being sufficiently thick to provide protection against heat.
Table pads constructed as shown in the above-identified Ash patent are flexible and subject to bowing. As a result, it is commonly recommended that these types of table pads be stored in a flat position to retain a flat shape consistent with a tabletop. If bowing does occur the table pad does not rest flush against a tabletop, and with a tablecloth present, the table itself would appear uneven. Excess bowing can also render it difficult to rest stemware, cups etc. filled with liquid without the potentiality of capsizing.
The production of the Ash and Meyer table pads require sewing machines to sew the individual layers together and to provide quilting. Other production techniques employed are stapling and/or gluing the individual layers together or a combination of both. Because the individual layers of material comprising the table pad are thin and pliable, they come in bulk material rolls which must then be cut down into workable sizes.
In light of the problems encountered with these and other types of table pads, there is a need for improved table pads and methods of their construction. The applicant's invention addresses these needs.